1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and a method for analyzing user preference about a domain using multi-dimensional, multi-layered context structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of Internet technologies, some websites analyze users' preferences about specific domains relating to the users' daily lives and provide users with recommendations on the Internet based on the specific domains. Examples of the specific domains include favorite restaurants, call lists, etc. Also, with the development of mobile communication technologies, users' preferences about domain elements may be provided through mobile communication terminals such as smart phones. In general, a user may tend to display a constant pattern about a specific domain according to a peripheral environment. In other words, in response to a specific peripheral environment being provided, a user may have a tendency to select a specific element in a specific domain. Thus, in response to users' preferences about specific domain elements being analyzed or inferred, a peripheral environment has been dealt with independently, or considered in association with other factors only in response to exactly matching a predetermined condition. Thus, accurate analysis results on the users' preferences could not be offered. Independently may refer to without considering a hierarchical structure or a relationship between peripheral environments. For example, in response to outdoor activities being recommended, weather conditions may be classified into a clear weather, a cloudy weather, and a raining weather. Conventionally, if the weather conditions are fine, outdoor activities that generally take place only under clear weather conditions may be recommended. However, many people may enjoy various outdoor activities under cloudy weather conditions. Also, people may show restraint in enjoying outdoor activities when the weather conditions are too cool or too hot even though the weather conditions may be fine. Accordingly, in order to recommend proper outdoor activities according to weather conditions, various peripheral environments such as temperature may be taken into consideration together with a hierarchical relationship such as weather conditions.